Sam is now 15 years old.  He’s a freshman at Richardson High School.  He goes to school just half days in the afternoon.  He’s got great friends at school who care alot about him and he enjoys going.  We have great nurses helping with Sam every day.  He still loves going to Camp Summit and attends camp sessions three times each year.  Sam loves our two black lab mix dogs - Chance and Angel.  He thinks they are sooo funny.  His favorite song right now is a “Real Gone” by Sheryl Crow.  He likes to watch America’s Funniest Home Videos and enjoys funny movies over all.  Although, he is a Star Wars fan.  Sam’s best friend is Jeffrey Whited.  They have a lot of laughs together.  And Jeff prays with Sam every time they get together.

He’s been pneumonia-free since January, 2006 - awesome!  He is using the ventilator most of every day and he likes it that way.  We try to have breaks every day to strengthen him.  Sam continues to have home therapies to give him every chance for health and well-being.  We have a great team of therapists, Carla, Melinda and Ren, who make it all fun.

Thanks for checking in on Sam’s website.

God continues to amaze us with how much Sam is a blessing and a missionary to all around him.

Love from all the Bellers.

Well after too long (no news is good news), we’re updating Sam’s website.

Sam had a long time recovering from his winter illness and was not really himself until we did IV antibiotics in MAY!  Thankfully, he was well just in time for summer.

Sam’s summer highlights were going to Six Flags with the entire family, hanging out with his buddy, Jeffery, swimming at Bubba’s pool (nurse Ursula) and going to Camp Summit for the second year.

He started 8th grade on August 14 and was excited the first few days and a little cranky by the 3rd (aren’t we all?).  He has some great classmates this year, but misses his good friend Markell from last year.  But, we have great hopes of him making great new friends with classmates this year.  We are amazing that Sam is SO OLD!!! 

God is good and continues to bless us and see us through many seasons.

Love to you all,
The Beller Clan

Big Smile.
Sam is doing much better.  He’s still not going to school this week and is too weak to breath without the ventilator.  But, every day, he does better and moves closer to getting back into his routine.

Thanks for your love and concern.

It has been a roller coaster: one day he seems healthy, the next he needs lots of supplemental oxygen, extra breathing treatments, and lots of suctioning to keep his airway clear--plus calling the doctors for advice on care strategy, nurses orders changing. Normally we have 12 hours of nursing a day, this week we’ve needed them 16-18 / day. And once they leave, Kelly and I take over… Not much sleep. Lots of anxiety about hearing his ventilator and oxygen alarms in time to get him cleared up.

He has also been having some difficulty with bowel function… mostly irregularity. Obviously, it makes him uncomfortable, but it also contributes to high heartrate, etc., and make it more difficult for him to breathe.

Prayer Requests are much the same as last week:
- For Sam to stabilize
- For Mom & Dad to rest/recover from the past weeks’ challenges
- Sam’s trach stoma to shrink back to normal size. It’s enlarged so he has an air leak.
- Airways to heal. Presently tender and inflamed.
- No bleeding in his lungs, throat, nose from treatments/suctioning

Also, a more difficult prayer request: For Kelly and me to cope emotionally with his illness and his “close call” last Saturday. If you have ever had a near miss car collision, you know the feeling of relief mixed with horror because you *almost* got clobbered. It is difficult to explain our feelings, but emotionally, we’re tense because “it could have been worse” and “what if that had been it” and how soon until it happens again. We’re optimistic, but all the “what ifs” attack us like Hitchcock’s The Birds… We want to trust God. Pray for us to be able to.

We made him stay one extra night so we could have a trial run on his home ventilator. His morning was difficult, but by lunchtime, the discharge orders were written and he was going home.

Kelly has named this illness "God is Our Swift Deliver". We’re happy he’s stable enough to come home.

It turns out that Sam is struggling on the home ventilator. We’re reevaluating the plan to bring him home today.

We’ll try to keep you posted  

Doctors are thinking that Sam was almost over the bug when we arrived on Thursday, and that Saturday morning’s episode was the virus’s last “Hurrah.” We didn’t think it was something to cheer about! 

Lots to do today. Get Sam back on normal oxygen ("room air"). Get him back on his home ventilator. Get him back on his home breathing treatment schedule. Get home nursing set up. Get home IV steroids set up. Sigh.

Pray for us to have strength and energy. Our experience is that the first days home are very challenging for the caregivers!